The business of being a Notre Dame legacy is a tricky bit. At a school where family ties often stretch out over generations, the pressure that comes along with carrying the family name — especially on the football field — often brings added responsibility.

That’s certainly the case for a player like Mike Golic Jr., an Irish legacy more visible that just about any other, thanks to his All-American uncle and his namesake father, one of the most popular ESPN personalities in the country — and a staunch Irish supporter.

But for much of Golic’s career at Notre Dame, the fifth-year guard was buried on the depth chart, not necessarily a product of a loaded offensive line, but the fact that the 6-foot-3, 300-pound was just shorthanded physically. And whether it was fair or not, the fact that neither Golic nor his brother Jake had seen much of the field had many fans wondering whether the brothers received scholarships because of their football ability or their famous surname. It’s a burden and a pressure not just on the Golic brothers, but fellow legacies Conor Hanratty and TJ Jones.

“I think there’s a little bit more just because everybody talks about, why is that kid there?” offensive coordinator Chuck Martin said today. “Is he there because he’s a good player or because he’s the son of a former great Notre Dame player?”

Before last season, you could have made a pretty persuasive argument that that while the last name was noteworthy, it was also taking up two valuable scholarships. Still buried on the depth chart along the line, Golic’s biggest hit hadn’t come on the football field, but in a YouTube video that went semi-viral, where he and teammate Brandon Newman sang Toto’s Africa.

“Brandon and I weren’t playing a ton. Football’s a big part of our lives, so you have to have something to blow off a little steam every once in a while,” Golic told The Observer last year about the video. “Being FTT majors, we’ve made it a little goal on the side to become a YouTube sensation.”

Good thing for Golic he didn’t pin all his hopes on his singing career. The reserve lineman, who many worried would be exposed if he saw the field in his younger years, ended up being thrown into emergency duty in 2011 when center Braxston Cave suffered a season-ending injury. Tasked with shutting down Wake Forest’s Nikita Whitlock, one of the most disruptive linemen in the ACC, a funny thing happened along the way. Golic played pretty well.

While the veteran offensive lineman was sometimes overpowered down the stretch last season, Brian Kelly and the offensive staff were impressed with Golic the technician. He may have lacked the strength to match-up with a team like Florida State, but Golic played assignment correct football, was a great leader both on and off the field, and supplied key depth along the interior of the offensive line, a position group that saw a steep drop off behind a group of veteran contributors. The 2011 season may have ended with a whimper, but the Irish found Golic to be a a guy worthy of a fifth year and a chance at a starting job, something thought long impossible.

Tasked with capitalizing on his final year as a college football player, Golic knew what he needed to do. And to his credit, he’s done that.

“Physical strength has improved the most. He’s got a stronger lower body, that was something that needed to be addressed,” Kelly said about Golic Jr. “The other thing was he got an opportunity. He got an opportunity last year when Cave got hurt. That gave him the chance to be the starter in spring and he held on.

“When he handled the strength issue and got an opportunity, then all of his strengths came to the top. And you know what his strengths are, the kid is sharp. He’s very, very smart. He does not miss an assignment so the mental end is great, he comes to work every day prepared and ready to go.”

You might not confuse Golic for fellow guard Chris Watt, but after a relatively slow start this season, Golic and Christian Lombard have played consistent football on the right side of the offensive line, making the run game a little less left-handed and keeping defenses honest in short yardage situations.

After four long years, Mike Golic is spending his final year at Notre Dame starting along an offensive line that anchors one of the strongest run games in recent history. While progeny of Irish greats like Duerson and Montana never stood much of a chance to step into the large shoes their fathers left them, Golic — after working his way into position — has done his family proud.

Spring hero? Tough to find a bigger one than C.J. Prosise. With numbers low in the backfield this spring, Notre Dame’s emerging slot receiver transitioned to running back—and immediately became an X factor in 2015.

For most of Romeo Okwara’s college career, the defender’s young age was mentioned when discussing the intriguing athlete’s upside. With ideal length, more than adequate athleticism and a skill set that fit in both Bob Diaco and Brian VanGorder’s defense, it was always a wait-and-see proposition for the North Carolina native, who simply needed a few years in Paul Longo’s weight room to catch up to his age.

We wrap up our offseason look at Notre Dame’s 2015 opponents with the Stanford Cardinal. The postseason could come down to a late-season showdown in Palo Alto with David Shaw’s team trying to rebound from a five-loss season.

After a redshirt season, Quenton Nelson is ready to play. Jumping to the head of the line at a crowded (and talented) position, Nelson is taking his five-star pedigree and bringing it to the starting lineup.

This spring, you’d have probably won some money if you had Sam Mustipher emerging as the No. 2 center. But with Matt Hegarty’s departure and some failed experiments before him, it was Mustipher who was backing up Nick Martin and snapping the ball to Everett Golson in a spring game played on Notre Dame’s practice field.

Notre Dame opens the season ranked No. 11 in the preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll. The Irish, who finished last season 8-5, return the majority of their starting lineup, providing some context for the bullish expectations. Only Gus Malzahn’s Auburn team is ranked higher among teams that finished with five losses in 2014.

Last year, we saw what a talented freshman linebacker in over his head looked like. His name was Nyles Morgan, and the blue-chip recruit personified the second-half defensive collapse that flushed the Irish season down the drain. Want the good part? Stick around, as Irish A-to-Z continues.

When Brian Kelly plucked offensive lineman John Montelus from his hometown of Everett, Massachusetts, the Irish looked to be adding another mauler to the interior of Harry Hiestand’s offensive line. And after two seasons of reshaping his body and learning the ropes, Montelus is in a competitive two-deep, still looking for a role in this offense.

It didn’t take long for Notre Dame’s coaching staff to know they wanted to offer Peter Mokwuah. After getting a glimpse of the big-bodied defensive tackle, Brian VanGorder and Brian Kelly went to Staten Island and left with a key piece to the depth chart.

We are a little more than a week away from the start of the 2015 football season. Notre Dame released their training camp schedule on Wednesday, highlighting the key dates leading up to the season opener against Texas.

Entering his third year in the program, offensive lineman Colin McGovern hasn’t found his way into the lineup. That’s the product of a depth chart filled with other talented options, as well as McGovern dealing with injuries and position switches as he looks to find his niche.

Last preseason, Mike McGlinchey was the odd-man out along the offensive line, losing out on the opportunity to be the team’s starting right tackle. Entering 2015, he’s one of the key X factors that’ll determine whether or not Harry Hiestand’s offensive line is one of the best in the country.

With Notre Dame’s defense falling apart, second-year player Jacob Matuska was thrown into the fire, earning playing time after the first (and most of the second) line of defense went down. Let’s check on the rising junior as Irish A-to-Z rolls on.

The first recruit to join the 2014 recruiting class, Greer Martini may have been envisioned as a 3-4 linebacker in Bob Diaco’s scheme, but he very quickly showed he could play anywhere the rebooted Irish defense needed him. Irish A-to-Z keeps on keepin’ on.

While discussing Notre Dame’s “rivals” usually turns into some type of screaming hot-take opportunity, it’s undeniable that the Irish’s date with Boston College in Fenway Park is a wonderful place to renew a “rivalry” that’s gotten a lot less regular.

In his first season without his brother on campus, Nick Martin looked to make a name for himself. But 2014 was a battle for Martin, not just to escape the shadows of his All-Pro brother, but to regain his health after a lingering knee injury and a multitude of other ailments made the entire season a grind.

Ready or not, Cole Luke was thrown into the deep end in 2014, forced into a starting role after KeiVarae Russell’s August suspension. Paired with Cody Riggs as the team’s field cornerback, Luke more than held his own as a sophomore starter, taking on one of the most challenging schedules in college football, with elite receivers testing the Irish secondary nearly every week.

Looking for a sledgehammer in an offense that sometimes gets branded finesse? Look no further than tight end Tyler Luatua. The big-bodied thumper may not look like the rest of the tight end depth chart, but certainly will come in handy as the Irish do their best to transform into a run-to-win team in 2015.